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Ergonomics for Fire and EMS Departments Command Staff Ergonomics

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31.4 % of firefighter injuries due to overexertion ... Per claim, average workers' compensation cost of ALL injuries to firefighters = $5168 ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Ergonomics for Fire and EMS Departments Command Staff Ergonomics


1
Ergonomics for Fire and EMS DepartmentsCommand
Staff Ergonomics
  • University of Oregon
  • Labor Education and Research Center

This material has been made possible by a grant
from the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health
Division, Department of Consumer and Business
Services
2
Todays Workshop
Will provide information on
  • Cumulative Trauma
  • Risk factors for musculoskeletal injury
  • Elements of an ergonomics program
  • Information resources for developing an
    ergonomics program in your department

3
Fire and EMS Work
  • Requires workers to
  • Always be prepared
  • Respond quickly
  • Think and react quickly
  • Not always be in control of schedule
  • Work in hazardous situations
  • Physically Emotionally Demanding

4
Cost of Injury
  • 31.4 of firefighter injuries due to
    overexertion
  • Overexertion is due to pushing, pulling, holding,
    carrying, wielding or throwing objects
  • Per claim, average workers compensation cost of
    ALL injuries to firefighters 5168
  • Per claim, workers compensation average cost for
    overexertion 9715
  • Of this 9715, only 3458 was for direct medical
    costs

5
Avoidable Injuries
  • Acute injuries
  • Happen immediately
  • Can become chronic
  • Re-injury possible
  • Chronic injuries
  • Pain or symptoms lasting more
  • than a month
  • Cumulative trauma
  • Happens over time

6
Cumulative Trauma Cycle
Activity
microtrauma (small tears)
irritation to tissue
produces scar tissue
Keeps repeating as long as activity continues
results in ? flexibility ? strength ? function
adhesions form
adhesions coalesce
7
Repetitive Motions
  • Same posture or motions again and again
  • Repetitive motion can be very frequent over
    short period of time
  • Cumulative trauma can be less frequent but
    repeated over time

8
Break the Injury Cycle
Fatigue
Discomfort
Pain
Injury
re-injury may be likely
Disability
9
Disc Herniations
  • Disc damage is frequently the result of
    cumulative, repetitive trauma as well as
    overexertion
  • Outer disc fibers repeatedly tear and heal as a
    result of repetitive overloading
  • The disc weakens overtime (years) leading to
    herniation of the nucleus, causing back and leg
    pain, and numbness

10
What is Ergonomics?
Worker
Environment
Task/job
The goal of ergonomics is to design the job to
fit the worker, NOT fit the worker to the job.
11
Musculoskeletal Risk Factors
  • Excessive force/weight
  • (pulling, pushing or lifting)
  • Awkward postures
  • Prolonged postures
  • Repetition
  • Temperature extremes
  • Risk magnitude is increased by
  • time, intensity, or combining factors

12
Injury Prevention Program
SAFETY
ERGONOMICS
HEALTH
ERGONOMICS TEAM labor management
TRAINING
JOB ANALYSIS
risk factors identified
HAZARD PREVENTION CONTROL
MEDICAL MANAGEMENT
REVIEW
13
Ergonomics Program Elements
  • Assessment of musculoskeletal hazards
  • Prevention and control of musculoskeletal
    hazards
  • Training
  • A medical management system
  • Procedures for reporting injuries
  • A plan for the implementation of the program
  • Methods for evaluating the program

14
1) Assessment of Hazards
  • A hazard analysis breaks a job down into elements
    which can be described and measured
  • It allows the inherent risk to be quantified
  • It identifies the conditions within a job that
    contribute to risk
  • It is performed by person with
  • ergonomics training
  • Safety committee members
  • Line personnel

15
When to do a Hazard Assessment
  • Identify jobs where
  • Work-related injuries have occurred previously
  • Frequent severe or non-severe injuries occur
  • Past injuries result in work restrictions
  • Workers leave because of inability to perform the
    physical requirements of job
  • Sustainable quality performance difficult
  • Worker complaints of unresolving pain or fatigue

16
Prevention and Control
  • Set short term and long term goals
  • Think outside the box come up with many
    potential solutions
  • Decide on the optimal solution by considering
  • Barriers
  • Costs
  • Amount of risk reduced

Line personnel think of great solutions!
17
Ergonomic Solutions
Personal control
Effectiveness
Equipment or Engineering
Job organization
Personal protective equipment
Bodymechanics
18
3) Ergonomics Training
  • Part of an ergonomics program is to provide
    training to fire and EMS personnel
  • Ergonomics training curriculum is free from
    Oregon OSHA. Modules include
  • Introduction to Ergonomics and Cumulative
    Trauma
  • Job Hazard Analysis
  • Developing and Implementing Ergonomic Solutions
  • Bodymechanics Back Health

19
4) Medical Management System
Preventive Measures
  • Regular medical exams
  • Regular physical conditioning
  • Periodic fitness/wellness evaluations
  • Education/training

Reactive Measures
  • Early recognition and treatment
  • Access to medical and rehabilitative care
  • Alterative work
  • Workers compensation

20
5) Injury Reporting System
  • Define what constitutes a reportable injury
  • Not reporting may lead to more serious injuries
  • Minor injury logs
  • Mechanism to report injuries
  • Identify lines of responsibility

worker
safety committee
medical provider
employer
21
Reporting Injuries
  • Train personnel
  • Ergonomics
  • Record keeping
  • Record keeping
  • Clearly identify injury cause
  • Differentiate between acute and repetitive
  • Follow-up
  • Feedback into the ergonomics program
  • Identify and address hazard

22
Gaining Support
6) Implementing Your Program
  • Part of existing safety and health program
  • Management commitment
  • Worker involvement
  • Union involvement
  • Awareness and education

23
Commitment Involvement
  • Support from department, local government,
    community and line personnel essential
  • Launch kick-off meeting by chief to explain
    program
  • Establish ergonomics committee
  • Establish lines of communication responsibility
  • Commit resources time and money

24
Ergonomics Committee
  • Set short-term and long-term goals
  • Identify useful tools and resources
  • Develop ergonomic awareness
  • Identify modify high risk activities via
  • Risk assessments
  • Surveys
  • Injury-records
  • Make necessary changes to work environment

25
7) Evaluating Your Program
  • How do you know what is working?
  • Statistics
  • Health
  • Program
  • General
  • Cost / Benefit Analysis

26
Statistics
  • Health reduction in
  • injury rate, severity
  • costs (overhead, medical, workers comp)
  • time loss
  • Program numbers of
  • hazards identified
  • solutions proposed
  • solutions approved
  • solutions implemented
  • General having
  • appropriate equipment
  • improved work environment
  • improved work practices
  • boosted morale
  • healthier relations

27
Cost/Benefit Analysis
Implementing the program
Pre-program injury costs
Injury costs with program
28
Ergonomic Resources
FEMA Fire and EMS Ergonomics search for
ergonomics on www.fema.gov/
National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health Elements of Ergonomics Programs Guide
to Evaluating the Effectiveness of Strategies for
Preventing Work Injuries www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepag
e.html
Oregon OSHA www.orosha.org/consult/ergonomic/ergo
nomics.htm
Federal OSHA www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/index.ht
ml
29
Conclusions
  • Cumulative trauma occurs over time
  • Applying ergonomics injury prevention
    saved
  • An ergonomics program is a comprehensive approach
    at applying ergonomics
  • Command staff are integral to a successful
    ergonomics program

30
Questions and Evaluation
?
?
?
?
  • Thank you for your attention
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